During the summer of 2024, rumors emerged that two new Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 collaborations would be released this year in “Navy” and “Varsity Red.” After the success of 2023’s “Pine Green” colorway, the news of new additions was exactly what many sneaker fans had been hoping to hear. But it proved too good to be true in January, when news reports surfaced that the release of the “Varsity Red” iteration had been canceled. Now, with one of the biggest sneaker events of the year taking place in San Francisco for NBA All-Star Weekend 2025, there’s finally more clarification around the anticipated pairs.
Legendary skater Eric Koston, who joined Nike SB in 2009, took to his Instagram account today to share new details and images of the “Varsity Red” sneakers while en route to Saturday’s All-Star festivities. Playing up the pair’s elusiveness, Koston shared a teaser image of the shoe’s heel with the caption “wait, mine aren’t blue?”.
Hours later, Koston broke the bad news: the “Varsity Red” Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 won’t be released after all. Instead, the red colorway is exclusive to friends and family of the brands.
As of now, Koston is the only person who’s shared the exclusive “Varsity Red” pair, but it’s likely that more friends and family of the brands will follow soon.
The silver lining, however, is that the “Navy” version of the sneaker is still very much on the way. In fact, some lucky attendees at All Star Weekend’s Jordan Brand Fam Fest event had the opportunity to purchase the pair early. The shoes were also on display, but no official release date was announced. The latest rumors point to a March launch for the “Navy” style.
While they are technically part of the same company, Nike SB and Jordan Brand’s properties have rarely come together. The intrabrand collaboration began in 2014 with the launch of Air Jordan 1s designed in partnership with artist Craig Stecyk and skate pioneer Lance Mountain, respectively. The Air Jordan 4 collaboration, which included modifications to make the retro Michael Jordan sneaker more suitable for skateboarding, was introduced in ’23.
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